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Internet Security Department | Hawaii

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    		• Preventative Measures

    Here are some steps that can be taken to help prevent this from reoccuring. Common sense and safe internet use practices are just as, if not more important than the steps listed below. Again, Road Runner does not support the measures below. They are provided as a reference for our customers.

    Disable file and print sharing on your computer. Use of the file sharing feature increases the risk that other Internet users could gain access to any of the files on your computer's hard drive.

    Install antivirus software. Install an antivirus program and keep it up to date (at least every other day if possible) with the latest virus definitions. There are some free versions available for download from the internet, we list some on the Links/Downloads page.

    Install a firewall. A firewall is designed to monitor data coming in and going out of your computer, blocking unwanted traffic based on the rules that have been configured. Be sure to take the time to configure it properly using the documentation provided. If you don't, you'll either have a problem connecting to the internet or essentially rendering the firewall useless.

    Install a router. A router is a good extra line of defense and can be purchased for relatively cheap. In addition to helping protect your computer against portscans, it can allow multiple computers to share the same internet connection.

    Browser Security. Frequently new exploits are discovered in web browsers that can lead to the compromising of your system. Usually patches are available for download from the vendor's website. There are many other free web browsers available that you may want to consider trying. Some of them include browsers such as Firefox, Netscape, and Opera.

    Turn off your computer or put your modem on standby if you’re going to be away for an extended period of time. With Road Runner, your computer is always connected to the Internet, which can increase your computer's vulnerability from security related problems. If you turn your computer off or put your modem on standby mode when you aren't using it, the time the computer may be vulnerable is decreased. If you are planning on being away from your computer for an expended period of time, we recommend either shutting down your computer, or disconnecting the modem. When you get back online we recommend checking the security updates for your antivirus software and operating system.

    Windows updates. Keep up to date with Microsoft's critical system updates. Keeping these up to date can help secure your system. These updates are free and can be downloaded from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Once there, click scan for updates. Once done, you should be able to see what critical updates are available for your computer in the upper left hand corner. Install the updates until the computer needs to restart. Once restarted, go back to the site and repeat this process until there are no critical updates left to install.

    Turn off unused services. After a normal installation, most services in Windows are turned on by default regardless if you use them or not. We recommend turning off as many unused services as possible. You'll want to do research on each of these services before disabling them. The service for Windows NT, 2000, and XP are located in Start->Settings->Control Panel-> Administrative Tools-> Services. For example, You can prevent certain types of popups by disabling "Messenger" in the services menu.

    Research your downloads. If at all possible, research your intended downloads before you download and install them.

    Email attachments. Be wary of email attachments, even from people you know. Viruses will often forge email address to try to spread itself. For an extra security measure disable the preview pane in your email program. This will require you to double click the email subject in order see the message. This will prevent the mail program from automatically executing virus code. To disable the preview pane in Outlook Express click Edit->Layout. Click "Apply" then "OK" to save the changes.




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